Steven Schumacher Tactics At Plymouth Argyle: Why Their Attack Has Them Poised For Promotion

The EFL League One is known for being highly physical and competitive, making it very difficult to earn promotion to the Championship.

However, on occasion, along comes a team that seems to defy that difficulty with consistent quality, which leads to consistent results.

This season, we have seen just that from Steven Schumacher’s Plymouth Argyle, who sit atop League One at the time of writing, 10 points clear of the play-off zone.

They aren’t the only team who has shown consistent quality, though, with former Premier League club Sheffield Wednesday just three points behind Argyle, with a game in hand as well.

But Plymouth is not likely to panic at the thought of this. They have been arguably the best team in the division all season, losing just three times so far.

In fact, they have lost just once in the league since August!

So they hold their future in their own hands and need to continue on the same road of form to complete their mission of getting out of League One.

Argyle’s biggest asset this season has been their clinical nature in attack – Schumacher’s side have netted 51 goals in 28 games in the league thus far, which is the highest in the division.

Plymouth has displayed variety when it comes to Steven Schumachers preferred formation—3-4-2-1 has been their most frequented shape, but they are also partial to 3-4-1-2 and 4-4-2.

In this scout report, we will provide a tactical analysis to highlight the key elements of Plymouth’s attack tactics, particularly their build-up play through the thirds. We will also analyze an area of concern at the back.

Steven Schumacher Tactics  Playing through the thirds

Steven Schumachers style of play has earned heaps of praise throughout this campaign, not only for getting the best out of his players but also for his brand of football, which is easy on the eye.

His Argyle side prefers to play patiently from the back when it’s possible, playing short passes to reach the midfield third before looking to exploit spaces in the opposition’s midfield and defensive thirds.

It is worth noting that Plymouth is aware that these tactics don’t work against every opponent and has shown the adaptability required to get results.

Argyle doesn’t always dominate the game in terms of possession (although it does happen on occasion)—their average possession per game so far this season is 52.4%.

However, even in games where possession is more even than others, Plymouth will still look to implement its patient style of play. The image above shows the shape they aim for when their back line is nearing the halfway line.